In this April 14, 2020 file photo, the thumbs up Like logo is shown on a sign at Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
Facebook is trying to pull in workplace users with a new virtual-reality app called Horizon Workrooms.
Workrooms lets people meet remotely in a virtual space populated by avatars. It’s an app for Facebook’s headset, which costs at least $300 and weighs a pound. People without a headset can join with a video call.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg expects the “metaverse,” a vague concept tied to augmented and virtual reality, to be the next stage of how people experience the internet.
Virtual reality has never really taken off, even during the pandemic, when remote work became the norm.
The Federal Reserve left its key interest rate unchanged Wednesday for the second time in its past three meetings, a sign that it’s moderating its fight against inflation as price pressures have eased. But Fed officials also signaled that they expect to raise rates once more this year.